El Nino hit with full force over most of the month of February. The lathers struggled to get the house wrapped in time to fend off the flood. The much maligned weatherman was very accurate this time. He said we were in for it and he was right. Got an entire San Diego year's worth of rain in one month. Some oceanfront houses and businesses weren't so lucky. Several washed away. There were daily scenes of workers chainsawing houses in half, letting the rear quarters tumble into the ocean, in an effort to save what they could. So my question is, now what? Does the insurance company pay for the lost half? And if they pay off, what does the homeowner do with the money, rebuild the back half?
Anyway, we had a few small leaks, one flowing out of the new heating duct in the Sun Room (some small bit of irony here), one in a Master BR window frame, and two in the new room near vent pipes. This may sound like a disaster, however, compared to what we were used to, this is a comparative victory. The contractor was given fair warning before starting the construction that we were holding him completely responsible for sealing the house. That we're tired of throwing money piecemeal at the problem (My favorite, now departed congressman, Everett Dirkson who said it best, "A billion here, a billion there and pretty soon it adds up to real money"). And this was now a full out campaign to staunch the flow. So far we're taking solace from the fact that the contractor doesn't appear to be sweating,... yet.
Our remodeling adventure is now 30 days past the promised completion date. "What can I do about it," I mused. Then on the golf course today as I sent a prodigious drive off into the weeds, it hit me. Sooooo, back by popular demand... the latest in contractor excuses as to why the job isn't done yet. And as always, you're encouraged to send in your favorites... some may even show up on a future installment of this Soap Opera.
| Lost my English to Spanish dictionary |
| My neighbor borrowed my fishing boat so I couldn't get to your house |
| My astrologer forbid me to work this week |
| Bong maintenance is first priority |
| You don't expect us to show when the surf's up do you |
You may want to print this page for reference before viewing the pictures. It's a bit tedious to switch back and forth if you don't.
| Pic 1-4: Walk around the house. These shots show progress when compared to the last pictorial walk around. The tar paper is on all wall surfaces and the chicken wire lath is nailed on, though the resolution of this picture makes it hard to see the wire. We have scaffolding everywhere! Sure would make washing the windows easier but Vicki rejected the idea. |
| Pic 5-6: Roof shots. The strategy of making a lot of little piles of roofing tiles isn't obvious. Apparently, the roof will be completed last, but the tiles serve to hold down the rolled roofing in strong El Nino winds and to stress the new construction causing it to settle if it is going to. Pic #6 shows the Family Room skylight windows, the new chimney, part of the revised flat roof over the kitchen, and a fabulous view of the ocean in the distance. We are considering putting a railing around the flat roof, punching a door from the loft onto the roof and making a deck out of it... naaaaa. |
| Pic 7-9: New family room. Finally got the insulation in and the drywall up. It looks even larger now that all surfaces are bright white. We suspect they were in a hurry to get this part done so the cabinetry and bar can be installed. The cabinet maker has been cooling his heels, eating the storage cost of the cabinet work since completing them a month or so ago. Bet the contractor has heard from him more than once. |
| Pic 10-12: Master bath. Pic #10 is looking down the lower hall toward the Master BR. The door has been moved and the old opening has been drywalled. Pic #11 looks toward the rear of the house where the old vanity was. Note the new vanity pipes on the right wall and the dark floor trench where they were run. Pic #12 shows the Master shower. The greenboard drywall is installed, ready for tile. Note the partial wall between the shower and the French door. The space above the stub wall will be filled in with glass blocks. However, the most significant part of this picture is the missing shower head. It has been moved to the end of the shower, where it should have been all along. AND it has been raised to accommodate humans taller than 3' 2"!! Mornings are hard enough without banging one's head on the shower nozzle. |